2011 SUBARU OUTBACK Complaints

THE ISSUE STARTED AT AROUND 25,000 MILES. MY 2011 SUBARU OUTBACK, UPON SHIFTING FROM REVERSE TO DRIVE OR FROM PARK TO DRIVE FROM A COLD START, THE TRANSMISSION WOULD PAUSE FOR A SECOND OR TWO THEN WOULD EXHIBIT A LOUD BANG/CLUNK AND THE CAR WOULD LURCH FORWARD. WARMING THE CAR FOR SEVERAL MINUTES (~5-10 MINUTES) DID NOT SOLVE THE ISSUE. I READ OTHERS WHO HAD THE SAME ISSUE SO AT 28,622 MILES (~1.5 MONTHS FROM THE FIRST INCIDENT) I BROUGHT THE CAR TO THE SUBARU SERVICE/DEALER. UNFORTUNATELY THEY COULD NOT REPLICATE THE ISSUE, LIKELY DUE TO THE FACT THAT THEY DID A TRANSMISSION RELEARN BEFORE TRYING TO TEST THE TRANSMISSION. THE CAR WAS FINE FOR ABOUT 2 DAYS AFTER RECEIPT FROM SERVICE, BUT THEN THE BANG/CLUNK/LURCH BEGAN AGAIN, ON AND OFF, UNDER THE SAME CONDITIONS MENTIONED EARLIER (I.E., COLD START, SHIFTING INTO DRIVE, ETC.) UNTIL ITS FAILURE ON APRIL 22 (MILEAGE ~33,400, ~3 MONTHS AFTER BRINGING THE CAR TO THE SUBARU SERVICE/DEALER NOTED ABOVE). THE TRANSMISSION FAILED WHILE I WAS DRIVING 45 MPH, AFTER I HEARD A BANG FROM UNDER THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS STILL CONTROLLABLE, BUT ONLY FIRST GEAR WORKED. THE CAR TODAY (APRIL 23) IS AT THE SERVICE STATION TO DETERMINE IF IT IS A TRANSMISSION ISSUE OR A COMPUTER ISSUE. *TR

THIS CAR IS A SUBARU OUTBACK 2.5I MANUAL 6SPD TRANSMISSION. WHILE AT A STOP LIGHT WITH CAR IDLING, THE RPM'S GET VERY LOW AND CAR DIES. STARTS BACK UP RIGHT AWAY, BUT THEN AFTER IDLING FOR 15-20 SECONDS, THE CAR WILL DIE AGAIN. CONCERNED THAT THIS MAY HAPPEN WHILE DRIVING AS I HAVE READ REPORTS OF MANY OTHER MODELS OF THE SAME CAR DOING THE SAME THING WHILE DRIVING. THE DEALER SAYS THERE IS NOTHING WRONG AND THEY WILL CHARGE A TON OF MONEY TO COME BACK AND TELL ME THERE IS NOTHING WRONG. IT IS A CLEAR SAFETY ISSUE IF THE CAR CANNOT HOLD AN IDLE AND/OR DIES WHILE DRIVING. *TR

REPEATED SEVERE SHIMMING OF CAR WHEN DIRT OR MUD GETS IN WHEEL WELLS. IN WINTER ANY SLUSH OR SNOW ON THE WHEELS CAUSES A CONTROL PROBLEM. CAR AND STEERING WHEEL SHAKE SEVERELY. ONCE INSIDE OF WHEELS ARE PRESSURE WASHED PROBLEM DISAPPEARS, ONLY TO REAPPEAR WHEN DIRT AGAIN GETS INTO THE WHEELS. DISCUSSION WITH THE DEALER INDICATED THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM ESPECIALLY IN WINTER. INTERNET SEARCH INDICATES THIS ALSO IS A COMMON PROBLEM ESPECIALLY IN THE 2011 SUBARU OUTBACK'S. THIS IS A DESIGN FLAW IN THE DESIGN OF THE WHEELS WHICH PICK UP DEBRIS ON A LARGE FLAT LEDGE. I FEEL THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AS CONTROL OF VEHICLE IS COMPROMISED WHEN YOU HAVE SEVERE SHAKING. *TR

THE CAR'S HEADLIGHTS BURN OUT AT A VERY FREQUENT RATE. REPLACING THEM IS VERY INCONVENIENT AND TIME CONSUMING SINCE YOU HAVE TO REMOVE THE WHEELS IN ORDER TO GET ACCESS. DEALER CHARGES $100.00 TO REPLACE. SOMETHING MUST BE WRONG WITH THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM SINCE MY OTHER SUBARU HAS NEEDED ONLY ONE REPLACEMENT SINCE 2004. *TR

WE HAVE A SUBARU OUTBACK THAT WE PURCHASED IN MAY 2011. IN JANUARY 2013 THE AIRBAG INDICATOR BEGAN TO TURN OFF RANDOMLY WHILE I WAS SEATED IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT. IT HAPPENS INTERMITTENTLY AND WITHOUT ANY CHANGE IN BEHAVIOR OR MOVEMENT ON MY PART WE HAVE BROUGHT THE CAR TO THE DEALER AND THEY SAY THERE IS NOT A PROBLEM WITH THE SYSTEM. I HAVE CALLED THE SUBARU COMPANY AND THEY SAY THE SYSTEM IS OPERATING AS DESIGNED AND SINCE THE DEALER CANNOT FIND THE PROBLEM THERE IS NONE. THE COMPANY ALSO STATE THERE HAVE BEEN COMPLAINTS BY OTHER PEOPLE MY WEIGHT. (117 LBS.) THEY ALSO STATE THAT THE AIRBAG WILL NOT INFLATE IF THE INDICATOR FOR THE AIRBAG IS OFF. I HAVE EXPRESSED MY FEAR OF NOT HAVING AN AIRBAG IN CASE OF AN ACCIDENT TO NO AVAIL. I FEEL THAT THIS IS A SERIOUS PROBLEM THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED . *TR

I HAVE NOW REPLACED 3 LOW BEAM LIGHT BULBS IN MY CAR WITHIN THE LAST 6 MONTHS. TWO ON THE LEFT AND ONE ON THE RIGHT. THIS IS A HUGE SAFETY ISSUE. BULBS SHOULD NOT BURN OUT THIS QUICKLY AND REPEATEDLY. *TR

DRIVER SIDE HEADLAMP BURNED OUT, REPLACED AT DEALERSHIP AND 12 WEEKS LATER THE PASSENGER SIDE HEADLAMP BURNED OUT. I AM SHOCKED THAT A VEHICLE WITH ONLY 20,000 MILES WOULD ALREADY HAVE TWO HEADLAMPS BURN OUT WITHIN WEEKS OF EACH OTHER. DEALERSHIP DENIES ANY KNOWLEDGE OF A PROBLEM WITH HEADLAMPS EVEN THOUGH INTERNET IS FLOODED WITH SIMILAR COMPLAINTS. *TR

SUBARU OUTBACK LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS GOING OUT IS A DANGEROUS SAFETY ISSUE. PURCHASED 2011 OUTBACK IN NOV 2010. JULY 2011 DRIVER SIDE LOW BEAM HEADLIGHT REPLACED AT DEALER. NOV 2011 PASSENGER SIDE LOW BEAM HEADLIGHT REPLACED AT DEALER. JULY 2012 DRIVER SIDE LOW BEAM HEADLIGHT REPLACED AT DEALER. DEALER CHECKED OUT LIGHTING SYSTEM AND FOUND NO PROBLEMS. DEC 2012 BOTH LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS OUT. CALLED SUBARU CORPORATE AND THEY SAID THEY HAD NO REPORTS OF THIS PROBLEM (EVEN THOUGH THERE ARE LOTS OF DISCUSSIONS ONLINE). REPLACED AT LOCAL MECHANIC BECAUSE IT WAS 17 DEGREES OUT AND THESE BULBS ARE NOT EASY OR CHEAP TO CHANGE (MY COST WAS $40+ FOR 2 BULBS PLUS $38 FOR MECHANIC INSTALL). IDENTIFIED THAT DEALER BULBS REMOVED WERE PHILIPS. REPLACED WITH SYLVANIA. MARCH 2013 DRIVER SIDE LOW BEAM HEADLIGHT OUT AGAIN. CALLED CORPORATE AGAIN. THEY SUGGESTED TAKING TO LOCAL DEALER (45 MINUTES AWAY) TO HAVE THEM CHECK THE CAR OUT. CORPORATE AND DEALER ARE SORRY TO HEAR OF PROBLEM AND WILL CHANGE THE BULB ... BUT THAT DOESN'T ELIMINATE THE SAFETY ISSUE. IN ADDITION, IT DOESN'T TAKE CARE OF THE HASSLE OR THE COSTS. IF YOU NEED MORE EXAMPLES OF THIS SAME PROBLEM (TO PROVE IT IS NOT JUST MY CAR), CHECK OUT THESE OTHER CASES LISTED ON THIS NHTSA WEBSITE: 2011 ------------------------- DATE OF INCIDENT: 03/01/2013 NHTSA ID NUMBER: 10500919 DATE OF INCIDENT: 05/03/2012 NHTSA ID NUMBER: 10487940 DATE OF INCIDENT: 09/13/2012 NHTSA ID NUMBER: 10475296 DATE OF INCIDENT: 08/17/2012 NHTSA ID NUMBER: 10471366 2010 ---------------------------- DATE OF INCIDENT: 11/01/2011 NHTSA ID NUMBER: 10498055 DATE OF INCIDENT: 10/01/2010 NHTSA ID NUMBER: 10486749. *TR

THE LOWBEAM HEADLAMPS ON THIS VEHICLE HAVE AN UNUSUALLY SHORT LIFESPAN. ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, BOTH DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDE HEADLAMPS HAVE FAILED WITHIN A FEW DAYS OF ONE ANOTHER LEADING TO AN UNSAFE VEHICLE CONDITION. THE DEALER AND SUBARU HAVE REFUSED TO PERFORM FREE DIAGNOSTIC TESTS TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE HEADLAMP FAILURES AND SHORT LIFESPAN. *TR

FIRST I WILL SAY I AM AN ADULT FEMALE WEIGHING 120 LBS, SUFFICIENT WEIGHT TO ACTIVATE AIRBAGS. WE JUST PURCHASED THIS CAR AND WENT FOR LONG TRIP AND I NOTICED MY AIR BAG LIGHT WAS OFF. I TRIED TO ADJUST POSITIONS AND SOMETIMES I COULD GET IT TO COME BACK ON, ONLY TO FIND A FEW MINUTES LATER THAT IS OFF AGAIN, THIS PROCESS WAS REPEATED THE WHOLE 7 HOUR TRIP. WE WERE TRAVELING ON SNOW COVERED ROADS SO THIS WAS VERY UPSETTING TO NOT HAVE THE AIR BAGS WORKING. THIS IS A SERIOUS PROBLEMS THAT NEEDS TO BE FIXED. WHAT GOOD ARE SAFETY FEATURES IN A CAR IF THEY DO NOT WORK PROPERLY. *TR